by Cliff Rold - It’s a story as old as the frayed yellow pages of a vintage Police Gazette.
A fighter turns professional and wins enough to get noticed as a comer. From there, they build their skill set and their buzz, creeping towards the dream of a title opportunity. The big day arrives and the contender has a chance to be a champion.
For some fighters, becoming the champion is the thing. Following a defeat to Tony Tucker for a Heavyweight belt in 1987, Buster Douglas won six in a row to earn a shot at Mike Tyson. History well records what happened next.
It also records what happened immediately following. Douglas was up, for that night, to winning the crown. Doing something with it was a whole other matter.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are the men who win titles and take them for a ride. Joe Louis remains the enduring championship standard with over a decade as Heavyweight king and a still-record 25 consecutive defenses. Bernard Hopkins, Carlos Monzon, Bob Foster, Henry Armstrong, and Ricardo Lopez are among the men who held titles for double-digit reigns in their various divisions, defining what truly great champions can be. [Click Here To Read More]
A fighter turns professional and wins enough to get noticed as a comer. From there, they build their skill set and their buzz, creeping towards the dream of a title opportunity. The big day arrives and the contender has a chance to be a champion.
For some fighters, becoming the champion is the thing. Following a defeat to Tony Tucker for a Heavyweight belt in 1987, Buster Douglas won six in a row to earn a shot at Mike Tyson. History well records what happened next.
It also records what happened immediately following. Douglas was up, for that night, to winning the crown. Doing something with it was a whole other matter.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are the men who win titles and take them for a ride. Joe Louis remains the enduring championship standard with over a decade as Heavyweight king and a still-record 25 consecutive defenses. Bernard Hopkins, Carlos Monzon, Bob Foster, Henry Armstrong, and Ricardo Lopez are among the men who held titles for double-digit reigns in their various divisions, defining what truly great champions can be. [Click Here To Read More]
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